In Past Show

About Gonçalo Mabunda

Though aesthetically influenced by such European avant-gardists as Georges Braque and Jean Dubuffet, Gonçalo Mabunda’s artistic practice is ultimately devoted to the study of the political history of Mozambique. After a decade-long fight for independence from Portugal and subsequent 16-year-long civil war that ended in 1992, Mabunda’s home country was left with an abundance of defunct machine guns, mines, and other military equipment. Spinning these objects into sculptures that evoke both Western modernism and African tradition, the artist effectively strips them of their killing power. His signature works—metal thrones made of old guns—are meant to evoke and undermine the power of violent political leaders.